Hypothesis - to learn more about yourself, you must share a bit more about yourself. You'll then see a reflection of pieces of you in friends, family and those whom you touch.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

From clean to....

I have been meaning to post this entry for weeks now but somehow I never "feel" like posting it. Is this what writers go through? Is this why we sometimes don't achieve our goals? Is this why we are stuck in a rut? So...what is this incredible post? It's actually a venting of things that I dislike....the repetive things and actions that I do daily which I either complain about out loud (sometimes) and to myself in my head.

I really really hate the dishwasher. OK. It is kind of a love hate relationship. Having not growing up with one, or really having one part of the kitchen function until now - it has taken some getting used to. I love the dishwasher when it is empty and when it is running and doing its job - but the phases in between drive me crazy. For instances filling the dishwasher, waiting for it to get full before running it, running is somewhat empty or somewhat full, forgetting to run it, and the worst, waiting for someone else to empty the dishwasher. A friend told me her trick about just taking out clean dishes from the washer as she needed them - that has helped - but eventually you still need to empty the darn thing. The worst is waking up to a full dishwasher that needs emptying. I will leave it and wait and wait and wait. My record is probably a good day or two. As you can imagine we have enough dishes and cutlery to do that.

Recently another friend re-introduced me to the art of hand washing. It has reminded me of the instant gratification of a clean dish or bowl. Things that get used over and over again - which are not really dirty are *presto* clean again. I ought to dig out my dish drainer, but since I have a dishwasher now and not really a lot of counter space I am resisting that too. So nowadays on a bad day, you can come to my house and see a dishwasher waiting to be emptied and a pile of clean, wet dishes sit drying on a tea towel beside the sink. On a really bad day, the double sink would likely be full of dishes too.

I think the thing about dishes is like cleaning. It's repetitive, mostly brainless and if need be not really needed to function. There are ways about it. Somewhere in my 30 years I have lost my cleaning instinct, that supposed built in female honing device that senses dirt and grime and rushes to remove, disinfect and make clean. I remember growing up there were weekly routines of cleaning. I know this clean gene is in there somewhere but it's on holiday.

So for now, my friends, rest assured that when you visit, it will be clean. I have developed a very quick routine ( errr habit) of cleaning before guests or company comes. There are still some semblance of a cleaning routine, but if anyone ever wants to eat off the floor - might I suggest you visit another house.....

PS: in re-reading the first paragraph, I realize that I was going to talk about many things that drive me crazy....as you can tell top on my list is the dishwasher so you don't get to hear more of anything else....but other things include: putting away laundry, the process of printing digital pictures, how I still don't know for sure how much to tip for salon/spa services, how there is never any TV on in the summer - when I actually have time to watch it, people who don't signal when they are driving, people who don't stay in the far right lane - if they are slow drivers, that many women are ignorant and unknowledgeble about their finances and last one off the top of my head how most twirly straws can't go in the dishwasher - but how to heck are you supposed to clean them?

1 comment:

Ah Jenn,in light of our recent conversation about cleaning, I'm surprised you aren't annoyed by friends who seem like they have it together on this front. (maybe you are and are too polite to say it!) So, if you want me to empty your dishwasher next time I come over- no worries!